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Eid-ul-Fitr 2026: Has the moon been sighted in Saudi Arabia and UAE? When will Eid be celebrated?
Saudi Arabia has announced that Eid Al Fitr 2026 will fall on Friday, March 20.
Saudi Arabia has announced that Eid-ul-Fitr will be observed on March 20, after the Shawwal crescent moon was not sighted on Wednesday. The sighting of the Shawwal moon signals the end of the fasting month of Ramadan and the beginning of Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations, which are held the following day.
Authorities in Saudi Arabia confirmed that the crescent moon was not visible anywhere in the country on March 18, the Gulf News reported. A team of 11 observers had gathered at the Hawtat Sudair Observatory in Riyadh to track the crescent. However, no confirmed sighting was reported.
With this, Ramadan in Saudi Arabia will complete a full 30 days, and Eid-ul-Fitr will now be celebrated on Friday, March 20.
Follow moon sighting live updates here.
Moon sighting in the UAE
In contrast, the crescent moon was sighted in the UAE. This means that Eid will be celebrated in the Gulf country on Thursday, March 19.
According to Gulf News, the end-of-Ramadan crescent for 1447 AH was photographed from Abu Dhabi by the Khatm Astronomical Observatory, affiliated with the International Astronomy Center.The confirmed sighting indicates that Eid celebrations in the UAE timeline are aligned with the expected regional calendar.
When will India celebrate Eid?
In India, the final call on Eid-ul-Fitr is still awaited and will depend on local moon sightings. Traditionally, Eid in India is observed a day after Saudi Arabia, but variations can occur depending on visibility.
If the crescent is sighted in India on the evening of March 19, Eid could be celebrated on March 20. If not, Ramadan will complete 30 days on March 20, and Eid is likely to fall on Saturday, March 21.
Eid ul-Fitr, meaning "festival of the breaking of the fast," is among the most important occasions in the Islamic calendar. It marks the conclusion of Ramadan, the sacred month during which Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, refraining from food and drink. Fasting is considered a way to strengthen faith and draw closer to Allah. Since the Islamic calendar follows the lunar cycle, the date of Eid al-Fitr varies each year.
